A spokesman said: “We are aiming to get some insight from them into how they see things played out over the next couple of weeks and what action they are planning to take. We need to know what they are doing.

“We want the facts on the table to find out the nature of the problems and what they are doing to keep the employees up to speed with information – and any assistance the union can bring to that.”

More than 2,000 people signed the union petition in the first 48 hours after its launch.

It reads: “We the undersigned support the campaign to save Axminster Carpets and keep this historic firm and carpet manufacturing in Axminster. We call on the Government to do more to support the carpet industry in this country.”